1. Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing documents of value, in particular bank notes, checks, vouchers, tickets, etc.
2. Related Art
From the prior art there are known apparatuses for processing documents of value, in which documents of value are transported individually one after the other by a transport device and checked with the aid of a sensor device. As a transport device there is used for example a belt transport system with several transport belts extending in parallel to each other which transport the documents of value along a transport direction past the sensor device and span a transport plane of the documents of value. The distance, which the outermost transport belts have perpendicular to the transport direction of the documents of value, defines an actively guided partial area in which the documents of value are actively guided by the transport belts and which has a certain guide width perpendicular to the transport direction. Usually, the guide width is chosen slightly smaller than the extent, perpendicular to the transport direction, of the smallest documents of value to be transported, so that the documents of value slightly project beyond the two sides of the guide area, i.e. slightly protrude beyond the outermost transport belts.
If the transport device also transports documents of value whose extent perpendicular to the transport direction is significantly greater than the guide width, these documents of value project relatively far beyond the guide area, either on one or on the two sides of the guide area. The projecting edge areas of these documents of value, thus, are not actively guided. Due to the lack of an active guiding, upon the transport of these documents of value it may occur that the edge areas of the documents of value are slightly lifted off from the transport plane or that they flutter. If the documents of value transported in this way are checked with the aid of a sensor device whose sensitivity depends on the distance of the checked documents of value, the lift-off or the fluttering of the edge areas of the documents of value may distort the measuring signal of the sensor device.
In addition, there are known various pressing devices which actively act upon the transported documents of value, for example rows of air nozzles or transport belts through which the documents of value can be pressed over a large surface against a sensor. Active pressing devices, however, require large space and their production and installation is elaborate. In particular, great effort is involved when existing apparatuses for processing documents of value are retrofitted with active pressing devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for processing documents of value, by which documents of value can be reliably and exactly measured without great effort.
This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. In claims dependent thereon there are stated advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention.